Jimmy Kolaitis enters his fourth season as an assistant coach with Sun Devil softball after being hired on July 1, 2020. During his first three seasons with the program, ASU won 98 games, a Pac-12 championship, and made two NCAA postseason appearances.
During the summer of 2023, Kolaitis was on the coaching staff of the USA Softball U-15 Women's National Team, which won the gold medal at the Softball World Cup. He also was a coach for the USA Softball Women's National Team Camp.
During the 2022 season with Sun Devil Softball, Kolaitis played a significant role in the ASU winning its first conference title since 2011, where they gathered a 43-11 record and a program-best 20 wins in Pac-12 play throughout the season, which helped them assemble a top-8 seed in the NCAA Tournament which led to the programs first Super Regional appearance since 2017. The Sun Devils led the Pac-12 in home runs (104), RBIs (352), Walks (199), and doubles (85) and bested the conference in runs with 370 for the 2022 season.
While coaching, he was one of three assistant coaches named to be a part of the 2022 National Team at the Canada Cup this past summer, where the team won a Gold Medal.
Kolaitis boasts a resume filled with elite softball that includes Pac-12 Conference Championships, four Women's College World Series trips, a National Pro Fastpitch League Championship, and nearly 20 years of coaching experience. While being a part of numerous softball teams at the collegiate level, he is well-versed in bringing top-notch softball knowledge to the Sun Devils and is one of the premier hitting coaches in the country.
The Alabama native moved to Sun Devil Country after two seasons as the head softball coach at the University of Alabama Birmingham. Kolaitis is no stranger to the West Coast and served as an assistant coach at the University of Oregon for five seasons before taking the helm at UAB.
Kolaitis led the UAB squad to a 34-42 record in two seasons, including a 15-11 mark in the shortened 2020 season. Kolaitis took over the program in 2018, immediately enhancing the team's offensive attack. The Blazers connected more at the plate under Kolaitis, amounting to UAB scoring more runs and hitting for more doubles and RBI. With his leadership, UAB attained an improved batting average and slugging percentage while cutting strikeouts by more than half in his first season.
Kolaitis returned to his Alabama roots after five seasons in the Pac-12 Conference at Oregon as an assistant softball coach, recruiting coordinator and hitting coach. During Kolaitis' tenure, the Ducks compiled a 256-42-1 record, won four Pac-12 Conference Championships, finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the nation in 2014, 2015, and 2018 and made four trips to the Women's College World Series.
Well-versed in college softball, Kolaitis also brings top-notch professional softball knowledge from the National Pro Fastpitch League, having worked with the Scrap Yard Dogs and the Chicago Bandits. While better known for his skill as a hitting and recruiting coach, Kolaitis proved he's a coach of many talents and served as the pitching coach for the Scrap Yard Dogs in 2017. There, he worked with four-time All-American and Olympic pitcher Monica Abbott, who won Pitcher of the Year and broke the league record for strikeouts in a season. The Scrap Yard Dogs won the NPF Championship in 2017.
In 2013, he served as an assistant coach for the Chicago Bandits, working with several national team participants and two players from the Japan Olympic team.
Before working at Oregon and with the NPF, he was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at South Alabama from 2008-13. Under his guidance, the Jaguars went 173-95-1 and won the Sun Belt Championship in 2012 and 2013. The Jags advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2012, playing in the Tuscaloosa Regional, and hosted an NCAA Regional as the 13th-ranked team in the nation in 2013.
From 2004-08, Kolaitis was the Director of Operations at Troy as the Trojans won the Sun Belt Championship in 2006, advancing to the Tuscaloosa Regional and in 2007 when Troy went to the Oxford Regional.
Before arriving in Troy, Kolaitis was an assistant baseball coach at Lee Scott Academy from 2000-02 and helped guide the Warriors to the 2002 AISA State Championship. He was also an assistant coach for the Boys of Baseball Travel, a national travel team based out of Auburn, Ala., from 1999 to 2006. He coached many top prospects nationwide, including 14 first-round draft picks.
A graduate of Lee Scott Academy, Kolaitis earned an associate of arts degree in education in 2002 from Southwest Tennessee Community College and a bachelor of science degree in business administration and marketing from Troy University in 2007.
COACHING EXPERIENCE:
Assistant Coach, Arizona State (2020-present)
Head Coach, University of Alabama Birmingham (2018-2020)
Assistant Coach, University of Oregon (2014-2018)
Assistant Coach, Chicago Bandits (2013)
Assistant Coach, South Alabama (2009-13)
Assistant Coach, Mat-Su Miners Alaskan League (Baseball) (2008)
Assistant Coach, Southwest Tennessee Community College (Baseball) (2002-04)
Assistant Coach, Lee Scott Academy High School (Baseball) (2002)
During the summer of 2023, Kolaitis was on the coaching staff of the USA Softball U-15 Women's National Team, which won the gold medal at the Softball World Cup. He also was a coach for the USA Softball Women's National Team Camp.
During the 2022 season with Sun Devil Softball, Kolaitis played a significant role in the ASU winning its first conference title since 2011, where they gathered a 43-11 record and a program-best 20 wins in Pac-12 play throughout the season, which helped them assemble a top-8 seed in the NCAA Tournament which led to the programs first Super Regional appearance since 2017. The Sun Devils led the Pac-12 in home runs (104), RBIs (352), Walks (199), and doubles (85) and bested the conference in runs with 370 for the 2022 season.
While coaching, he was one of three assistant coaches named to be a part of the 2022 National Team at the Canada Cup this past summer, where the team won a Gold Medal.
Kolaitis boasts a resume filled with elite softball that includes Pac-12 Conference Championships, four Women's College World Series trips, a National Pro Fastpitch League Championship, and nearly 20 years of coaching experience. While being a part of numerous softball teams at the collegiate level, he is well-versed in bringing top-notch softball knowledge to the Sun Devils and is one of the premier hitting coaches in the country.
The Alabama native moved to Sun Devil Country after two seasons as the head softball coach at the University of Alabama Birmingham. Kolaitis is no stranger to the West Coast and served as an assistant coach at the University of Oregon for five seasons before taking the helm at UAB.
Kolaitis led the UAB squad to a 34-42 record in two seasons, including a 15-11 mark in the shortened 2020 season. Kolaitis took over the program in 2018, immediately enhancing the team's offensive attack. The Blazers connected more at the plate under Kolaitis, amounting to UAB scoring more runs and hitting for more doubles and RBI. With his leadership, UAB attained an improved batting average and slugging percentage while cutting strikeouts by more than half in his first season.
Kolaitis returned to his Alabama roots after five seasons in the Pac-12 Conference at Oregon as an assistant softball coach, recruiting coordinator and hitting coach. During Kolaitis' tenure, the Ducks compiled a 256-42-1 record, won four Pac-12 Conference Championships, finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the nation in 2014, 2015, and 2018 and made four trips to the Women's College World Series.
Well-versed in college softball, Kolaitis also brings top-notch professional softball knowledge from the National Pro Fastpitch League, having worked with the Scrap Yard Dogs and the Chicago Bandits. While better known for his skill as a hitting and recruiting coach, Kolaitis proved he's a coach of many talents and served as the pitching coach for the Scrap Yard Dogs in 2017. There, he worked with four-time All-American and Olympic pitcher Monica Abbott, who won Pitcher of the Year and broke the league record for strikeouts in a season. The Scrap Yard Dogs won the NPF Championship in 2017.
In 2013, he served as an assistant coach for the Chicago Bandits, working with several national team participants and two players from the Japan Olympic team.
Before working at Oregon and with the NPF, he was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at South Alabama from 2008-13. Under his guidance, the Jaguars went 173-95-1 and won the Sun Belt Championship in 2012 and 2013. The Jags advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2012, playing in the Tuscaloosa Regional, and hosted an NCAA Regional as the 13th-ranked team in the nation in 2013.
From 2004-08, Kolaitis was the Director of Operations at Troy as the Trojans won the Sun Belt Championship in 2006, advancing to the Tuscaloosa Regional and in 2007 when Troy went to the Oxford Regional.
Before arriving in Troy, Kolaitis was an assistant baseball coach at Lee Scott Academy from 2000-02 and helped guide the Warriors to the 2002 AISA State Championship. He was also an assistant coach for the Boys of Baseball Travel, a national travel team based out of Auburn, Ala., from 1999 to 2006. He coached many top prospects nationwide, including 14 first-round draft picks.
A graduate of Lee Scott Academy, Kolaitis earned an associate of arts degree in education in 2002 from Southwest Tennessee Community College and a bachelor of science degree in business administration and marketing from Troy University in 2007.
COACHING EXPERIENCE:
Assistant Coach, Arizona State (2020-present)
Head Coach, University of Alabama Birmingham (2018-2020)
Assistant Coach, University of Oregon (2014-2018)
Assistant Coach, Chicago Bandits (2013)
Assistant Coach, South Alabama (2009-13)
Assistant Coach, Mat-Su Miners Alaskan League (Baseball) (2008)
Assistant Coach, Southwest Tennessee Community College (Baseball) (2002-04)
Assistant Coach, Lee Scott Academy High School (Baseball) (2002)